How the interdependence of banking, power generation and telecommunications combined with a sudden surge in the price of petroleum could lead to a global economic collapse. This article was originally published in www.powerswitch.org.uk on 17 February 2005. Read original article or read copy on this site.

Our political leaders crow about the strong economic growth and many enjoy consumerism even as our operations devastate our scarce natural resources, water and fertile soil. There is little appreciation as yet of what human activies are doing to its life support system, the environment. There is little appreciation as yet of the emerging scarcity of natural capital. There is little understanding of how industralization has instigated climate change. Australian society will have to face up to a range of emerging predicaments. How will they respond?